DIY “All About the Beet” Lipstick

Think about how often you apply lipstick or gloss. If you’re like me and feel naked without it, it’s pretty often! Now think about how much of that inevitably ends up in your mouth—I’m willing to wager quite a bit. Depending on which lipstick/gloss is swallowed may end up harming your health. The FDA tested and found traces of lead in 685 products from well known cosmetic companies. Though 99% of them contained trace amounts, it should be noted that lead is not easily eliminated from the body and it has the potential to accumulate in bodily tissues. Because of this, I find it vital to be safe rather than sorry. So I make my own!

The following recipe creates a beautiful red/burgundy lipstick, but you can experiment with the ingredients to customize and create your lip color. Different shades of mica powder, turmeric, and cinnamon add a golden hue while adding cocoa powder adds a neutral/brown hue.

“All About the Beet” Lipstick

Prep time: 8-10 minutes

What You’ll Need:

Double-boiler

Lipstick tube/tin

1 tsp grapeseed oil (if you’d like more of a glossy finish, use castor oil instead)

2 tsp beeswax

2 tsp shea butter

1-2 pinches of Beetroot powder (can use more or less based on your preference, a little goes a long way!)

1 drop of frankincense (add a drop of peppermint for a cooling effect!)

Optional: ⅛-¼ tsp bentonite clay for a matte texture. Omit if you want more of a glossy finish.

Directions:

First, add and melt the oil, butter, and wax in your double boiler. Once melted, remove from heat and let cool for 2-3 minutes. Next, add the beetroot powder, bentonite clay, and frankincense and mix all of the ingredients. Feel free to add more beetroot if you’d like a darker color. When the color is where you want it, pour mixture into your tin or lipstick tube and allow to cool. You can place the mixture in the refrigerator to accelerate the process.

Kara Montgomery, neurotoxicology researcher, product development specialist
Kara believes the small choices of what we expose ourselves to on a day-to-day basis have a profound impact on our overall health. As a published neurotoxicology researcher, Kara has studied the link between pesticides and Parkinson’s disease, participating in studies that have garnered around $1 million in NIH funding. With this knowledge, Kara takes a critical eye to the products and habits all of us engage with on a regular basis. She holds a BS in Neuroscience from King University.